I don't want to hang on Danny's thread, it has it's own possible lessons. So I'll tell of my near death experience.
I learned to fly in a C150 when it's fuel system was absolutely simple, put the selector switch on both and leave it there. I had flown some of the rest of the Cessna line, 172, T41B and O1D and an old Beech C35 with wing tanks that was complicated enough to scare me.....
Then I bought another dead simple Cessna 12o that almost killed me. I was based at Aberdeen Airpark, 1500' grass under the pattern of APG's Phillips Army Airfield. No fuel I either went to Aldino 5 miles away or I could go to APG.
I came out to fly and mission was to go get fuel. I had close to 1/4 in both tanks. I pushed out, did my preflight and got in. One tank had a little more gas by the gauge so I selected it. Started up and taxied to far end of runway. Did run-up and lined-up. I did scan and noticed the other tank now indicated more fuel, slightly above 1/4 while the tank I had first selected was less than 1/4(no TO less than 1/4)...
So I switched to BOTH (You C120/140 drivers can see this coming).
I maybe hesitated a few seconds but then gave it full throttle. I got the tail up and let her accelerate. It was warm and it took several 100 feet to see 40 IAS when I lifted off, put the nose down to get to 60 IAS and was about to start climb when the engine quit.
I knew instantly exactly what I had done and switched to a tank. (While the C150's have "both" in the middle the C12o is different. It's selector had Right, Left and "OFF" is in the middle.)
I also pulled the throttle back about half way and started using the primer a little at a time.(I had recently read about that trick)
I was going too fast to stop and was ready to either abort and take the dense honey suckle thicket at end of runway or "Maybe" continue if it caught soon enough. There were high trees and wires beyond the runway end and I was trying to figure out what to do? I bet it was only 3-5 seconds(or less) before the engine caught but it seemed like forever..... The engine caught a second before I would have started to land and try to stop.
The engine started to run on the primer and took full throttle soon thereafter and I knew I could make it over the wires..
I had less than 5 hours in the airplane at the time. I had really noted the difference, that the 120 had "off" and no "Both". But in a time of stress I reverted to earlier airplane/training.....?
I know.... several other mistakes too. I was either lucky or my Lord was looking after me.
I don't believe in luck? So Thank You Lord. Again and Again.
Hope this helps someone.
Jack
I learned to fly in a C150 when it's fuel system was absolutely simple, put the selector switch on both and leave it there. I had flown some of the rest of the Cessna line, 172, T41B and O1D and an old Beech C35 with wing tanks that was complicated enough to scare me.....
Then I bought another dead simple Cessna 12o that almost killed me. I was based at Aberdeen Airpark, 1500' grass under the pattern of APG's Phillips Army Airfield. No fuel I either went to Aldino 5 miles away or I could go to APG.
I came out to fly and mission was to go get fuel. I had close to 1/4 in both tanks. I pushed out, did my preflight and got in. One tank had a little more gas by the gauge so I selected it. Started up and taxied to far end of runway. Did run-up and lined-up. I did scan and noticed the other tank now indicated more fuel, slightly above 1/4 while the tank I had first selected was less than 1/4(no TO less than 1/4)...
So I switched to BOTH (You C120/140 drivers can see this coming).
I maybe hesitated a few seconds but then gave it full throttle. I got the tail up and let her accelerate. It was warm and it took several 100 feet to see 40 IAS when I lifted off, put the nose down to get to 60 IAS and was about to start climb when the engine quit.
I knew instantly exactly what I had done and switched to a tank. (While the C150's have "both" in the middle the C12o is different. It's selector had Right, Left and "OFF" is in the middle.)
I also pulled the throttle back about half way and started using the primer a little at a time.(I had recently read about that trick)
I was going too fast to stop and was ready to either abort and take the dense honey suckle thicket at end of runway or "Maybe" continue if it caught soon enough. There were high trees and wires beyond the runway end and I was trying to figure out what to do? I bet it was only 3-5 seconds(or less) before the engine caught but it seemed like forever..... The engine caught a second before I would have started to land and try to stop.
The engine started to run on the primer and took full throttle soon thereafter and I knew I could make it over the wires..
I had less than 5 hours in the airplane at the time. I had really noted the difference, that the 120 had "off" and no "Both". But in a time of stress I reverted to earlier airplane/training.....?
I know.... several other mistakes too. I was either lucky or my Lord was looking after me.
I don't believe in luck? So Thank You Lord. Again and Again.
Hope this helps someone.
Jack
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